ARCHIVED ARTICLES
Week of February 26, 2010
Get-Tough Policies Put Students on Path Toward Prison, District Administration
An article from the March issue of “District Administration” profiles Advancement Project’s new report – “Test, Punish, and Push Out.”
Sexting and Student Discipline, District Administration
District Administration article on sexting.
Brk’lyn charter school iron rule, New York Post
Brooklyn charter school has too many rules, distraught parents say, Daily News
Parents at a Brooklyn charter school are speaking out against the school’s harsh disciplinary policies, calling it more like a prison than a school. Students at the school can get a detention for offenses like “poor posture” or putting their head on a desk.
Phila. schools chief vows action against violence, Philadelphia Inquirer
In Philadelphia, the district is teaming up with the police to “get tough” on school violence. There is good news in the article. Superintendent Ackerman acknowledges that too many schools look like “police states” and is taking steps to soften the police presence at schools as well as to implement restorative practices. At the same time, the city’s harsh discipline policies are still in place and the article notes that to date there have been 18,243 suspensions in the district this year.
Report: Many states don’t regulate seclusion, restraint of misbehaving students in schools, The Associated Press
Report on the failure of many states to regulate restraint and seclusion of youth in school
Feds probe school’s shock treatments, UPI.com
A school for special needs youth in Massachusetts is being investigated by the feds for shocking students.
Kennedy comes off list of dangerous schools, The Riverdale Press
A school (six schools really) in the Bronx is coming off the persistently dangerous list and will have fewer cops.
School board looks at student numbers and discipline actions, KSKA Public Radio
Anchorage, AK releases a report on suspensions and expulsions.
Council learns about success of school’s discipline program, TheTandD.com
In South Carolina, an elementary school reports that using Positive Behavior Intervention and Support has led to a better school culture and a precipitous drop in school discipline problems. Good news.
Students, schools clash in cyberspace, The Washington Times
More reporting on a Florida student’s lawsuit challenging her suspension for posting negative statements about her teacher on Facebook.
Martin High grad will keep fighting zero-tolerance-policy case despite latest setback, Star-Telegram
A student who was sent to an alternative school for a semester for having a thimbleful of alcohol in his truck in 2000 is still fighting the district in court.
Portland district will look again at toy gun rule that led to 8-year-old’s suspension, The Oregonian
The district in Portland, OR is revisiting its zero-tolerance policy after a 3rd grader was sent home for bringing in an action-figure holding a toy gun.
Zero Tolerance: Portland Public Schools’ Weapons Policy, Willamette Week
The reporting on the case in Portland is getting into the details of the district’s weapon’s policy.
Lawsuit seeks ban on paddling in Mississippi, The Associated Press
In Mississippi, a student has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking a ban on corporal punishment.
Phoenix 5th-grader not expelled over pen knife, KSTW 13 News
A student in Phoenix who mistakenly brought a pen knife to school won’t be expelled.
De l école à la prison, un cycle infernal, SecuObs
French coverage of the ACLU’s school to prison pipeline game.
School Spycam Case Raises FBI Eyebrows, PC World
The FBI may step in to investigate the PA spycam case.
SC’s disturbing-schools law makes ‘obnoxious’ a crime, says legal panel, postcourier.com
Schools called prison pipeline, The Post and Courier
A panel in South Carolina (including the head of the Department of Juvenile Justice) notes that too many students are being funneled to prison from school for minor disturbances. The panel pointed to the state law that made “disturbing school” a crime and argued that the law was being over used. The panel also noted that it can cost the state more than $100,000 per year to incarcerate one young person.
8 Wis. students punished for Facebook photos, WAOW TV 9
8 Wisconsin students are punished when photos of them drinking were posted on Facebook.
Pennsylvania: School District Denies Claim That It Spied, The Associated Press
Lower Merion denies that it intentionally spied on students through laptops.
Suit: School-issued laptops used to spy on kids on Main Line, Philadelphia Inquirer
School Spies Students Through Their Laptop Cameras, Gizmodo
A school in the Philly suburbs is being sued for spying on students through laptop computers. This is the kind of surveillance, paranoid, and frightened culture that we have substituted for nurturing, trusting relationships between students and teachers.
De l’école à la prison, un cycle infernal, Bug Brother
Another French link to the ACLU’s School to Prison Pipeline game.
Opinions/Editorials
Toy guns and zero tolerance: Not every student has a dad who can fire back, The Oregonian
An important op-ed from Oregon about the student who was punished for bringing a GI Joe with a toy gun to school. She notes that the 8-year old’s suspension was rescinded because his father protested, but than not all students have parents who are able (or willing) to stand up to the district when they are unfairly disciplined. She argues that the state’s discipline policies are in need of reform so that those youth will be protected. She also notes that although Portland is not the most punitive district in the nation, the same racial disparities and problems that make up the School to Prison Pipeline are still evident there.
Reinstall school discipline now, macon.com
In Bibb County, Georgia, we hear the familiar “get tough on bad apples” arguments coming from an editorial calling for schools to stop undercharging youth for crimes in school. This kind of alarmist rhetoric (“felons roaming the halls of our schools”) wrongly implies that some youth are simply beyond help. Instead of criminalizing youth, we need to be making schools healthy and supportive places.
She deserved trip to principal’s office, not police department, Broken Arrow Ledger
In Oklahoma, an editorial refers to the recent doodling arrest in NYC and argues that it is crazy to arrest a 12 year old girl for writing on her desk.
Student censorship shouldn’t extend past school grounds, Juneau Empire
A tribune columnist argues that school censorship should stop at the edge of school grounds and not extend online and after hours.
Taking School Safety Too Far?, Education Week
A good article by Johanna Wald and Lisa Thurau arguing that we need to reconsider the role of police in schools.
Safe at School – An Interview with Kevin Jennings, Phi Delta Kappan
An interesting interview with Kevin Jennings, the Obama Administration’s point person for “safe and drug free schools.” He argues that schools must not only measure academic performance, but also school climate.
Blog: Zero tolerance for doodles!, theroundupnews.com
More outrage about the arrest of the NYC student for doodling on her desk.
Week of February 19, 2010
Girl’s arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance, CNN
CNN picks up the story of the NYC student arrested for doodling on her desk. This is significant both because of the national attention, and because unlike previous poster-children for the absurdity of zero tolerance, the student in this case is a young Latina.
Griego: Kids catch a break in Denver court, care of judge, The Denver Post
A very interesting article on 191-J – the juvenile court in Denver that handles school tickets. The judge established a one-day amnesty program for youth with outstanding tickets. It’s an interesting idea, but left unsaid is how many of those tickets never should have been issued in the first place. If the city really does want to save money on jail-beds, as the article notes, shouldn’t the first step be to stop giving out so many tickets?
Violence is key topic at school-reform-panel meeting, Philadelphia Daily News
In Philadelphia, Philly Student Union meets with the superintendent to discuss school violence. The youth say that school violence stems in part from underfunded schools and harsh discipline – and yet the district retains a very strict zero-tolerance policy.
5 city schools get reprieve, won’t close, Chicago Sun-Times
Learning from past mistakes, Chicago decides not to close 5 struggling schools to protect youth from having to cross gang zones to get to school.
Police, others cracking down on teen mobs, Philadelphia Inquirer
Police in Philly are cracking down on youth after school.
School accused of spying on students through laptop webcams, DVICE
As crazy as this sounds, it’s just a more extreme case of schools using pictures and postings on Facebook or MySpace to punish students for their actions outside of school. Six area schools could lose resource officers, The Daily Freeman News
Some good news out of the recession – states and towns are thinking about redeploying SROs to the community rather than schools.
Reconsidering school security, Leagle
Memphis is trying to figure out how to put police in schools.
Student’s Facebook Tirade Against Teacher Is Protected Speech, Wired.com
Wired.com analyzes the three recent federal court rulings on student suspensions over internet criticisms of teachers.
Student, Teacher Face Discipline Over Separate Facebook Postings, ParentDish
More on the above.
Parents sue after suspended students sit idle, newsobserver.com
An article profiling two students’ suit in North Carolina challenging the constitutionality of suspensions without academic services. Advancement Project and a number of its allies have filed an amicus brief in this case in support of the students.
School suspensions: Are they effective?, Bakersfield.com
An article from Bakersfield, CA asking the important question: do suspensions do any good anyways?
Student Suspended for Facebook Page Can Sue, The New York Times
Student is allowed to sue her school for suspending her over a Facebook page.
Students, youth pick up banner of struggle, Workers World
Youths all over the country are continuing the civil rights struggles of the 60s by taking on the schools-to-jails pipeline.
Schools managing discipline problems in Keating’s absence, The Pueblo Chieftain Online
In Pueblo, CO, the district closed an alternative school and is finding that the mainstream schools are handling the students just fine.
Zero tolerance in schools to be challenged under new Senate bill, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill in Georgia would prevent a court order from mandating that a student be arrested or jailed immediately without a hearing, and bans students from being charged as designated felons.
Ron Astor Touts Local Safety Data, USC News
Reporting on an article written by a researcher at USC trying to raise the profile of research showing that zero-tolerance doesn’t work.
CTA cuts raise safety concerns at Clemente High School, WBEZ Blog
An article on the connection between transit cuts in Chicago and student safety.
Recent School Discipline Incidents Highlight Crazy New Approach, NBC New York
And NBC News also joins the fray calling for DiBlasio to look into school discipline.
The Pulse: City’s Public Schools Seek a Bit of Serenity, The New York Times
Chicago is looking to hire a “Culture of Calm” coordinator.
Don’t blame me, says principal who called for the arrest of Queens girl, 12, for doodling on desk, Daily News
The principal of the school in NYC that had a young woman arrested for doodling is not backing down.
Opinions/Editorials
It’s really zero common sense, Charlottesville Daily Progress
An editorial from Charlottesville, VA comes out strongly against zero-tolerance policies.
Zero tolerance makes zero sense, Townhall.com
A well thought out critique of the over-criminalization of youth from the conservative “Town Hall.” The opposition to harsh discipline is wide and diverse – which can make it hard to understand why these policies are so pervasive.
Zero tolerance hurts students, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The sponsor of a bill in Georgia to loosen the state’s zero tolerance policies and slow down the path from school to prison writes an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution arguing for his bill.
Stupid principle tricks, New York Post
The NYPost attacks ridiculous harsh discipline in the NYC schools and calls for overly harsh principals to be disciplined.
After desk doodling and toy gun incidents, it’s clear educators lack common sense, Daily News
An op-ed in the Daily News makes essentially the same argument.
School-to-prison pipeline’ must end, Juneau Empire
An article in McClatchy calling for an end to militarizing schools and criminalizing youth (it’s being printed in local and regional papers).
Week of February 12, 2010
D.C. school officials reported 220 abuse allegations against teachers, The Washington Post
D.C. school officials reported more than 200 allegations of students being choked, shoved, slapped, kicked or verbally abused by teachers to impose discipline last year.
Norton OKs choice of discipline for student drug, drinking violations, The Sun Chronicle
MA school officials are showing students some leniency for drug and alcohol violations.
Pellet gun shooter may return to class, Indianola Record Herald
An Indiana high school senior who fired a pellet gun hitting a classmate in the face will return to school after a 10 day out of school suspension.
Recent School Discipline Incidents Highlight Crazy New Approach, NBC New York
More coverage on the nine-year old Staten Island boy nearly suspended for possessing a 2-inch LEGO toy gun.
Schools crack down on bullying, The Republican
Zero tolerance policies are being pushed again after the tragic suicide of Phoebe Prince, a MA teenager who was bullied.
Cyber-bullying on increase, say experts, Sentinel & Enterprise
Rather than a traditional playground fight, bullies are increasingly harassing other students via text messages or the internet. Unfortunately, this article points to two extreme cases in which students committed suicide and overstates the dangers of cyber-bullying.
Rulings cloud issue of school MySpace suspensions, The Associated Press
District courts have ruled differently on the issue of suspending students for comments posted on MySpace. Students should not be suspended from school for actions they committed outside of school.
Opinions/Editorials
Zero-tolerance policies have become ridiculous, Desert News
An op-ed from Salt Lake City that is critical of zero tolerance policies.
‘No Child Left Behind,’ Revisited, The New York Times
Letters to the editor criticizing a recent op-ed. The letters are critical of NCLB and point out many of its flaws.
An action plan against bullying, Telegram.com
A plea for anti-bullying measures, which unfortunately includes some troubling recommendations, like stiffer penalties for bullies and student who neglect to report bullying.
Teen pregnancy falsehoods, The Dallas Morning News
Blog on teen pregnancy touches upon the schools to jails pipeline.
Schools put the ‘no’ in snowball, LancasterOnline.com
This op-ed laments that playground snowball fights are history in the era of zero tolerance policies.
Zero tolerance hurts students, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A good article from a Georgia state Senator regarding his bill that would require judges to hold a hearing before students can be taken into police custody.
Bullying tragedy was wakeup call, Berkshire Eagle Online
A tragic suicide in MA is leading to misguided calls for zero tolerance on school bullying, even though the bullying occurred primarily out of the school.
Tighten discipline in South Brunswick school, MyCentralJersey.com
A concerned parent calls for zero tolerance policies because her daughter is being bullied. All students deserve a safe learning environment, but zero tolerance punishments are intentionally disproportionate to the infraction committed.
Zero tolerance toward bullying at Largo Middle isn’t being enforced, St. Petersburg Times
A concerned grandparent writes a letter that criticizes a FL middle school for having a School Resource Officer who does nothing to keep children safe and the zero tolerance policies that threaten to punish anyone who dares to defend oneself.
Sing about Freedom, Sing about Justice!, Stop the Drug War
Blog post advocating for an end to the schools to jails pipeline.
Week of February 5, 2010
School principal Evelyn Mastroianni apologizes to Patrick Timoney’s mom for tiny toy gun bust, Daily News
Principal apologizes to the youth who brought a lego-gun to school for threatening to suspend him.
More students on track to graduate, The Denver Post
This article on improvement in Denver Schools includes positive reporting on decreased suspensions, but also troubling news that one school helped improve itself by kicking out “disruptive” students.
Des Moines school district suspends 1st-grade home-schooler, The Des Moines Register
Des Moines suspends a home schooled first grader who brought a shotgun shell to his once a week class.
Queens girl Alexa Gonzalez hauled out of school in handcuffs after getting caught doodling on desk, Daily News
A 12 year old girl in Queens, NY is arrested for doodling on her desk. This is the kind of outrage that should receive national attention. The city DOE is expressing regret - but this kind of event leaves life-long scars on both the youth and the school as a whole.
How to boost student learning? More recess may help., The Christian Science Monitor
Educators agree that recess helps students achieve and behave better - more evidence for treating students well to make a healthy school climate.
ACLU: Twin rulings cloud law on Pa. school discipline for MySpace parodies posted off-campus, Canadian Business Online
Courts are split on whether schools can discipline students for MySpace postings.
Safe-Schools Official Favors School-Climate Standards, Education Week
Kevin Jennings, the DOE's head of school safety and climate is making an important pitch for a standardized way of measuring school climate. If the DOE really makes efforts to hold schools accountable for how they treat youth rather than just how they prepare youth for tests, the federal role in education would be much improved.
How Zero Tolerance and High-Stakes Testing Funnel Youth Into the School-To-Prison Pipeline, Docuticker
Docuticker links to Advancement Project’s new report.
Student Nearly Suspended Over LEGO-Sized Gun, Gothamist
Laura Timoney fumes after son Patrick, 9, is busted for bringing 2-inch toy gun to PS 52, Daily Post
A story from Staten Island about a student who was nearly suspended for bringing a lego-sized toy gun to school. This story is getting a lot of coverage, but as all these zero-tolerance horror stories do, it raises further questions. The problems with discipline in our schools go deeper than insane weapons rules. At heart, school policies are treating students, and especially low-income students of color, as enemies to be feared and controlled rather than students to be nurtured and taught. When stories like this come out, it is critical that we keep the focus on the punitive culture of schools without getting caught up in the particular absurdity of the policy at issue.
New Facebook page denounces North Syracuse school district’s discipline over earlier page, The Post-Standard
School that cracked down on a facebook page posting is being attacked in another page.
Pasco School Board seeks balance between discipline, educational needs of unruly kids, St. Petersburg Times
School Board members in Pasco, FL debate the balance between security and keeping students in educational environments.
Mom plans to sue DPS; boy’s mouth was taped shut, The Denver Post
Mother of the boy who’s mouth was taped shut in Denver is suing.
Student’s expulsion feeds debate on online rights, USA Today
Nashville student is kicked out of school for venting anger online.
Report Says Zero Tolerance, High-Stakes Testing Funnel Kids into Prison, Poynter Online
A good summary of Advancement Project’s new report: Test and Punish.
The Story Behind The Bill: Rep. Miller finds school discipline too extreme, The Hill
Some reporting on Rep. Miller’s bill to limit seclusion and restraint in classrooms.
School discipline for fights increases, Lahontan Valley News
Nevada school district is increasing discipline and security in response to fights – the district is threatening arrest.
Part 2: TUSD vows adherence to plan amid skepticism, Arizona Daily Star
Tuscon schools vow to stick to their plan to lower achievement and discipline gaps.
An advocate for juveniles, The Times Leader
A good profile of the Juvenile Law Center.
District changes to address violence at Audenried, Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly is adding more police and a “climate manager” to Audenreid High School to address violence.
Two Teens Charged With Child Pornography After Sexting, kirotv.com
Two children are charged with child pornography for “sexting” pictures to each other – this is a classic case of the unnecessary criminalization of predictable juvenile behavior.
Educators say they need more training in student discipline, The Monitor
Educators in Texas ask for more training on student discipline – this is what we need to see more of.
In school or at home suspension: Which is better?, WTOC 11
A parent in Savannah GA’s fight for in-school instead of out of school suspension gets profiled.
James Secreto now a NYPD boro commander, Daily News
The head of the NYC school police is promoted.
Opinions/Editorials
The school-to-prison pipeline is one of the most important civil rights challenges facing our nation today, Jacksonville.com
A posting from Jacksonville, FL discussing the problem of the School to Prison Pipeline.
Zero Tolerance Strikes Again, Nashville Scene
Nashville student is kicked out of school for venting anger online
The Game Was Right: The Education System Is a Booby Trap (And More), All Hip Hop
A strong defense of The Game’s recent comments questioning the value of public schools – noting the ways in which Black and Latino students are funneled into the school to prison pipeline.
Zero tolerance: Some sense, please, savannahnow.com
An editorial from Savannah weighs in favor of easing the state zero tolerance law.
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